Planning officials give thumbs down to demolition - which could have happened at any time

And the council said it won't rule on redevelopment plans until English Heritage has decided on whether the early 19th century mill should be granted listed status.

It is understood that had today's decision not been made, the owners of the mill could have moved in with the bulldozers at any moment.

It means the mill is act least safeguarded until proposals to reevelop it come before the planning committee, probably later this year. By then the council will be aware of its status.

Earlier this week, culture watchdog English Heritage asked Liverpool City Council to put the controversial redevelopment proposals on hold until it had inspected the site.

Seychelles-based developers want to bulldoze the historic building to pave the way for a high-rise mixed development of apartments, retail and leisure, but the plans have angered heritage campaigners.

Although Heap’s Rice Mill is older, by a few decades, than the Albert Dock complex, it is currently not listed on the heritage register. This month English Heritage is expected to decide whether the mill will be listed. If it is declared to be a Grade II listed building it will considerably change the dynamics of the planning application.

Saving Heaps Mill is all very well BUT a worthwhile use has to be found quickly or else the buddleia and other invasive species will continue to wreak havoc upon the fabric of the building. If an imaginative developer does not come forward soon with plans to please the heritage lobby, the building may begin to crumble and we will then see it being declared unsafe.